Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-10-14
eAYEux TAPESTRY.
A Quaint and Priceless Work of Not More
Than Eight Centuries Old.

Than Eight Centuries Old.
In the whole composition are repre-
sented more than 62o persons. $50
horses, and $50 other animals. besides
ships. boats, buildings. trees weapons,
tools and other objects, These figures
are drawn and colored fiat, without
any attempt at shading, and In their
spirited uncouthuess remind us of the
work of clever child. The faces,
hands and legs of the human figures.
when bare. are merely indicated by a
line of stitches. Yet it is an instance
of the durability of frail things that
these faces aud hands have. In many
cases, retained for eight hundred years
decided expression. In the colored
portions Of the embroidery. where the
linen ground is covered with long
worsted stitches. little attempt is made
TO initiate the hues of nature. There
is nothing Improbable. II is true, in tho
colors If the clothing. but those Of the
animals are not such As are found in
the common varieties. In the absence
Of shading aud perspective, an ut
tempt Is made to supply their place by
varying the color arbitrarily on the
different parts VI the same animal.
Thus light-blue harsc may have his
two legs which are fa-thest from the
spectator colored rcd. his ears green
and his name yellow. Tho hoofs on
his blue legs may be red. and those of
his red legs green. In spite Of this
grotesluencss. the general effect Is
good; and time. which viii usually
bring colors which lie near each other
into harmony. however discoriant they
may have been At first. has mellowej
aud softened the whole.
There has been some controversy rs
u the maker Of the tapestry, and rs to
It's exact date. II Is attributed by pop
Mar tradition to Matilda. wife Of Win
lam the Conqueror. who Is supposed
tn hare worked it with ner ladies to
commemorate the glories of her hus-
band. Some writers suppose It 10 have
brea made at somewhat later date
than that of her lifetime. Mr. Freeman.
however, probably the best authority
on the subject, assigns the work to n
period little after that Of the conquest.
hut does not attribute its manufacture
To the Queen. The tapestry was worked,
As he thinks. COR Ode, Bishop of BaycuS.
half brother to William, on the mother ;
side. There are some reasons to sup
pose that English workmen were en-
ploycd. Otlo appears at least four times
in the tapestry. aud several OF his vas
sails. otherwise almost unknown men,
are represented. The tapestry itself
was exhibited in the cathedral of
Baycux down to the time OF the
French revolution, being stretched
round this nave on certain feast-days.
During the eight centuries which have
| elapsed since its completion it has es-
capped many dangers. The church was
burned in iioG. IL was pillaged by the
Calvinists in 1862. In l792 the tapestry
narrowly escaped being cut mp into
coverings for carts for the French
Revolutionary army. In 1903 it was
carried To Paris and exhibited in the
| Musce Napoleon 20 fire the French
heart for u new conquest of England
On being returned to Bayeux the tapest
~ was wound on two cylinders OF
windlasscs In the town hall. and rolled
| from one 10 the other for the inspection
If the curious, BY this process it be
came somewhat frayed, especially neal
| the ends, Ii was not till 1912 that the
priceless relic was displayed to students
and the public, under glass, in a special
museum of ts own. Thence it was
ag',in removed in 1871. on the approach
Of the Prussan invaders. IL was soor
brought back, however, and stretched
| again in its museum. whore il has beer
carefully copied several times - Serb
| aer'S Hagastlte.